Connector with wire insulation penetration means



Dec- 29, 1 6 H. HUBBELL ETAL CONNECTOR WITH WIRE INSULATION PENETRATION MEANS Filed April 29, 1958 M II M I 5 n 2 MW mg I W. 2 3 W IM 5 IT -F 4 9 w fi w, WW"E 3 \ll 7- A, 1 M T INVENTORS W ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Ofifice 3,163,482 Patented Dec. 29, 1964 3,163,482 CONNECTOR WITH WIRE INSULATION v PENETRATION MEANS Harvey Hubbell and Benjamin C. Webster, Southport, Conn, assiguors to Harvey Huhbell, Incorporated, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Apr. 29, 1958, Ser. No. 731,843 2 Claims. (Cl. 339-97) This invention relates to electric wiring devices, particularly means for connecting conductor wires to the electrical contacts in these devices, and has for an object to provide means for connecting the conductor or lead wires to the contacts in which it is not necessary to strip the insulating covering from the wire in making the connection.

It is also an object to provide such a connecting means in which it is not necessary to wrap the wire about the shank of a binding screw to make the electrical connection, as is now common practice.

Still another object is to provide an improved connection for conductor wires to electrical contacts in which in making the connection it is merely necessary to insert a free end of the conductor into position for the connection, and then secure it and make the electrical connection by merely setting up a screw.

Another object is to provide a connection of this character in which the electrical contacts to which the conductor wire is tobe connected and the means for connecting the wire to these contacts, with the exception of the screw, may be stamped from a strip of flat sheet metal ,and then bent or formed to shape.

FIG. 1 is a partial front View and partial section of V dinal section, the-section being substantially on line 2-2 of FIG. 1; I -FIG." 3 is a partial transverse section substantially on line 33 of FIG. 1; I

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the device of FIG. 1 on a reduced scale;

FIG. 5 is a side plan view of the contacts and the conductor wire connecting means employed in this receptacle;

FIG. 6 is. a transverse section thereof substantially on line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a blank which may be stamped from a strip of sheet-metal to produce the structure of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a similar view showing a slight modification, and

FIG. 9 is a detail section substantially on line 9- -9 of FIG; 7 but on-a larger scale. 7

This improved no-strip' wiring means for connecting conductor wires to the electric contacts of electric wiring devices is shown and described in connection with a duplex wall outlet receptacle, but his to be understood this conductor wire conhecting means may be employed to connect to the conductor wires to the electrical contacts of other types of electric wiring'devices, such, for example, as single outlet receptacles, connectors for use with attachments, plugs for use with these connectors, switches and the like.

, knife edges to cut through the insulating covering and Thedevice shown comprises an insulating body 10 comprising two connected members 11 and 12 provided with aligned chambers 13 and 14 respectively in which are mounted spaced receptacle contacts 15 connected by an intermediate conductor bar 16 extending between and connecting these contacts. These contacts are mounted at the inner side of and in alignment with contact blade inlet slots 17 in the front wall of the body for insertion of the blade contacts of attachment plug caps or plugs, to secure electrical connection with the receptacle contacts. The usual yoke 18 is provided for mounting the receptacle in a wail outlet box, including a strip 19 along the back and ends of the body, and outwardly extending ears or lugs 20 for securing it in the outlet box by the usual screws. The two body members 11 and 12 and the yoke may be secured together by a transverse screw or bolt 21 extending through these members.

The contacts 15 may be of any suitable type, but in the arrangement shown comprise three spring fingers extending laterally from one edge of a common connecting strip 22 and are bent to shape so that, as shown in FIG. 5, they are located at the opposite ends of and laterally to one side of the intermediate connecting conductor bar or strip 16, and the three fingers are arranged with two of them 23 side by side and a third or intermediate finger 24 arranged at one side of the fingers 23, to guide and retain a contact blade between the. fingers 23 and engaging one edge thereof.

The means for connecting a conductor wire to these contact is formed with the intermediate connecting bar or strip 16, and comprises a pair of laterally extending lugs 25. These lugs are integral with the bar or strip 16 and are bent laterally therefrom at its upper and lower edges, and therefore the opposite edges of the bar 16, and a the sameside thereof, ashown in FIGS. 3 and 6. Each lug is provided with a transverse opening 26, and therefore the lugs are spaced lugs provided with a pair of aligned openings adapted for insertion of the free end portion of a lead or conductor wire 27'. These openings may be of various shapes, but as shown are substantially rectangular with the outer edge of the opening, or the edge nearest the free ends of the lugs, comprising oppositely inclined edges 28, thu providing an inner edge at the outer end of the opening which is of substantially V-shape with its open side facing the conductor bar or strip 16. These edges are preferably reduced in thickness on their free surfaces to provide knife edges, for a purpose presently to be described, but these knife edges are preferably rounded or relatively dull so'that when used to connect the wire they do not penetrate the wire to an appreciable or objectionable depth. Associated with these lugs is a binding or connecting screw 29 which is threaded into the conducting bar or strip 16 between the lugs 25, and therefore, as shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, the free end of this screw faces in the opposite direction from the knife edges 23, making the connection for the conductor wire to the bar or strip 16 and therefore to the electrical contacts 15.

In making the connection the wire is inserted through the aligned openings 26 in the spaced lugs 25 between the free end of the screw 29 and the knife edges 28, the screw 29 being retracted to permit the insertion of this wire. Although the insulating covering may be stripped from the wire before inserting it, it is not necessary to strip this wire, but the wire with its insulating covering may be inserted through the openings 26 and then by setting up the screw 29 its free end is pressed against a side of this wire and it acts to clamp or press the opposite side of the wire with its insulating covering against the knife edges 28. Specifically it forces the wire into the corner or apices 32 of the V-shaped edges. This action forces these engage the metal conducting wire to eifect an electrical 3 Contact e e he e a d he u s 25 and t eref re with the contacts 15. It also effects with the screw 29 a rigid and strong mechanical connection between the wire and the contacts 15. The inclined arrangement of the knife edges centers the wire and positions and retains it in alignment with the free end of the screw.

If the contacts 15 and the connecting bar or strip 16 are enclosed in chambers in the insulating body member, as in the device shown, the inner or rear body member 12 may be provided with an opening 30 in its rear wall in alignment with the openings 26 in the lugs 25 for insertion of the conductor wire, as shown in FIG. 3. A further opening 31 may be formed in the side walls of the body member for location of the head portion of the screw 29 and to permit easy access to this screw for manipulation by a screw driver in setting up the screw in effecting the connection of the lead wire to the contacts or its disconnection therefrom. The opposed faces of the body members 11 and 12 may be provided with suitably shaped recesses 33 and 34 in which the opposite edges of the connector bar 16 and adjacent portions of the lugs 25 may be seated to, position and locate these elements as well as the contacts 15 and retain them in proper position.

In the device of FIGS. 1 to 7, two pairs of lugs 25 'are shown formed on and connected with the intermediate connecting conductor bar or strip 16 whereby two conductor wires 27 may be connected to the same strip and electrical contacts, where a through connection is desired in the receptacle and the wall outlet box in which it is mounted, but if this through'connection i not desired, a single pair of these connecting lugs 25 may be used with a shorter intermediate bar or connection 16a, as shown in FIG. 8.

The strips with the bars 16 or 16a, 22 and lugs 25 may be stamped in one piece from sheet metal and then formed or bent to the form of FIG. 5, to complete the contact unit.

It will be seen from the above that this device provides a very simple and eflective means for effectively connecting the conductor wires to the electrical contacts in the wiring device, and one in which it is not necessary to strip the insulating covering from the wire before making these connections, as all that is necessary is to insert ,the wire with its insulating covering still in place into its position with the aligned openings in the securing lugs and then set up the securing screw. This action automatically forces the knife edges adjacent the free ends of the lugs through the insulating covering to engage the metallic conductor wire and provide an effective electrical contact therewith, and at the same time these edges with the screw 4 effect a secure mechanical connection of the conductor wire to the electrical contacts and one that is not apt to become loosened in operation. The connection can be easily and quickly accomplished as it is not necessary to strip the covering from the wire, and it is not necessary to wrap the wire around the shank of the screw.

Having thusset forth the nature of our invention we claim:

1. In an electric wiring device, an insulating body, an electrical contact mounted in said body, means for connecting a conductor wire to the contact comprising a bar consisting of a strip of sheet metal of uniform thickness, a pair of spaced lugs integral with and extending laterally from opposite side edges of said bar in the same direc tion and provided with aligned openings adapted for insertionof a conductor wire through them ina direction transversely of the lugs, said lugs converging toward each other as'they-extend away from said bar, the edges of the openings at the outer ends of the lugs facing the bar comprising knife edges adapted to cut through an insulation covering on a wire inserted through the openings in a direction transversely of the lugs and provide electrical contact with the wire, and a screw threaded in the bar be tween said lugs and extending in ,the same direction from the bar as the lugs with its free end located between the lugs vin a position to engage the side of the wire on the opposite side from said knife edges and pres it against said knife edges to effect said electrical contact with the wire and connect the wire to the bar and the first contact, said body defining recesses in which said lugs are seated to position and retain said lugs in proper position for operaton. i v

2. In an electric wiring device, a electical contact and means of connecting a conductor wire thereto according to claim l'in which the knife edges the openings in the lugs are longitudinally substantially V-shaped the screw is positioned to press the wire into the apices, of these edges. A i

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN AN ELECTRIC WIRING DEVICE, AN INSULATING BODY, AN ELECTRICAL CONTACT MOUNTED IN SAID BODY, MEANS FOR CONNECTING A CONDUCTOR WIRE TO THE CONTACT COMPRISING A BAR CONSISTING OF A STRIP OF SHEET METAL OF UNIFORM THICKNESS, A PAIR OF SPACED LUGS INTEGRAL WITH AND EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM OPPOSITE SIDE EDGES OF SAID BAR IN THE SAME DIRECTION AND PROVIDED WITH ALIGNED OPENINGS ADAPTED FOR INSERTION OF A CONDUCTOR WIRE THROUGH THEM IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSLY OF THE LUGS, SAID LUGS CONVERGING TOWARD EACH OTHER AS THEY EXTEND AWAY FROM SAID BAR, THE EDGES OF THE OPENINGS AT THE OUTER ENDS OF THE LUGS FACING THE BAR COMPRISING KNIFE EDGES ADAPTED TO CUT THROUGH AN INSULATION COVERING ON A WIRE INSERTED THROUGH THE OPENINGS IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSELY OF THE LUNGS AND PROVIDE ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH THE WIRE, AND A SCREW THREADED IN THE BAR BETWEEN SAID LUGS AND EXTENDING IN THE SAME DIRECTION FROM THE BAR AS THE LUGS WITH ITS FREE END LOCATED BETWEEN THE LUGS IN A POSITION TO ENGAGE THE SIDE OF THE WIRE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE FROM SAID KNIFE EDGES AND PRESS IT AGAINST SAID KNIFE EDGES TO EFFECT SAID ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH THE WIRE AND CONNECT THE WIRE TO THE BAR AND THE FIRST CONTACT, SAID BODY DEFINING RECESSES IN WHICH SAID LUGS ARE SEATED TO POSITION AND RETAIN SAID LUGS IN PROPER POSITION FOR OPERATION. 